Report: Philly officer benched for hairdo

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia police officer was assigned to desk duty after he showed up for work with cornrows in his hair, sources told the Philadelphia Daily News.

The Daily News said Monday that, according to multiple police officers who wished to remain anonymous, Officer Thomas Strain, who is white, spent two days on desk duty after attending roll call on Sept. 3 with his hair braided in a traditionally black style.

The Daily News said many black officers in the city wear cornrows.

"They pulled (Strain) out of roll call and took him right up to the inspector's office," one officer said, describing the incident at Philadelphia's 35th District.

"It's not like he shaved a Nazi sign or something anti-black or anti-Hispanic on his head. It's just cornrows. I don't know what the problem is," another unidentified officer told the Daily News.

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said Strain's supervisor, Inspector Aaron Horne, was concerned the white officer's new hairstyle did not look professional.

Vanore told the Daily News the decision to bench Strain until he cut the braids off was not an act of discrimination.

"The policy's the policy, it doesn't matter what race you are," the police official said.

Strain had no comment.